I went birding on campus this morning before school began. I almost didn't
go because of the rain, but I was able to because it stopped, and it sure
paid off! I went to my usual spot where the powerlines run through and the
thickets are perfect for birds. I first saw a White-eyed Vireo skulking in
the brush, then heard a Towhee and a Chat. I continued on and veered off to
a path on the left where I saw the Chat singing on a branch and got great
looks, then I turned around to see a Prairie and 5 Yellow-rumps no more
than 5 feet away from me and below on the ground was a Swamp Sparrow. I
continued on and found an Indigo Bunting singing on a branch, and then
another chat. On the ground was a flock of about 15 White-throated Sparrow,
with at least 1 White-crowned Sparrow (a new campus bird). A Pileated
Woodpecker flew overhead. I scared the sparrows and followed the path and
found another Chat and more yellowthroats. All the time I was hearing a
gorgeous sounding Wood Thrush. I went into the woods hoping to get a
Blackburnian or a Black-throated Blue, but I got an even greater surprise.
It was nearing time to head back, but I had to see one spot and when I got
there I heard a buzzy trill. I knew it couldn't be a Chipping Sparrow and I
had my hopes up that it was a Worm-eating Warbler. I kept hearing the trill
and saw movement but couldn't see the bird, so I started to pray and pray,
and sure enough, in mid-canopy a Worm-eating Warbler came out to sing on a
bare branch, allowing me some spectacular views. I paid my dues to God, for
without Him I wouldn't have seen the bird. I then returned to school. The
total tally of birds seen is below.
Northern Flicker 1 Heard calling.
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Flying over.
Acadian Flycatcher 2 Heard singing.
White-eyed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 1
crow sp. 3
Barn Swallow 3 Flying over.
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 1 Seen on a pole and heard singing.
Wood Thrush 1 Heard singing.
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 1
Ovenbird 3 Two were just a couple of feet from me.
Worm-eating Warbler 1 Singing mid-canopy.
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 heard singing.
Common Yellowthroat 7 Most of the males were heard, but a few were
seen.
Pine Warbler 1 Heard singing.
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5 All were no more than 7 feet away. Spectacular
birds!
Prairie Warbler 1 Heard singing and seen at times.
Yellow-breasted Chat 4 I got excellent views of them singing on the
branches.
Eastern Towhee 3 heard singing, and seen in the thickets.
Field Sparrow 1
Chipping Sparrow 3 Heard and seen on my way back to school.
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 15
White-crowned Sparrow 1 There could have been more, but most of the
sparrows had their backs to me, so I couldn't tell the difference between
them and the White-throated Sparrow.
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
American Goldfinch 1
Deus te Benedicat,
Jacob Barkett,
Woodbridge, VA
